King Yama introduced both parties, and Ino took the opportunity to explain her purpose: "Due to certain reasons, the internal crust of my planet has been severely damaged. Disasters are frequent, and living resources are becoming increasingly scarce. I can still suppress it for now, but if I were to disappear one day, a cruel war would surely break out. I need the Dragon Balls to repair my planet."
Kami scrutinized her expression carefully. Ino was being frank; this was exactly what she thought and what she intended to do.
There was no selfishness in this process.
King Yama had only told Kami to come to the Underworld; he hadn't specified the reason over the phone.
Deep down, he didn't want "aliens" running to his planet to find Dragon Balls. If you come today and he comes tomorrow, wouldn't Earth and the Dragon Balls be exposed to more people? What if danger arises? He was very resistant to this, but facing a request from someone within the "system" like Ino, he couldn't find a reason to refuse at the moment.
After hesitating for a dozen seconds, he nodded slightly. "I understand. Please follow me."
Ino waved to King Yama. "Uncle King Yama, goodbye!"
King Yama suddenly roared, his voice so loud it knocked over the spirits outside the door: "Why do foxes often trip?"
Having undergone three months of training with King Kai, Ino was now battle-hardened. She answered without thinking: "Because they are sly-ding!"
King Yama and Ino laughed heartily. The staff in the Underworld laughed too. Even the two spirits waiting for judgment forced a smile; they didn't know why they were laughing, but laughing along couldn't hurt. The Underworld was filled with a joyous atmosphere, leaving Kami standing to the side feeling incredibly awkward.
Ino and King Yama laughed for five minutes, fully interpreting the saying: "As long as I'm not awkward, the awkwardness belongs to others."
Finally, after they finished laughing, Kami led Ino into another passage, through a door, and back to the world of the living.
"Whoa! Do you guys live in the sky over here?" Ino walked out of the passage and found herself inside Kami's Lookout, a man-made structure floating in mid-air.
She had learned the ability of language comprehension from King Kai, allowing her to be understood and to understand alien languages.
Kami had no trouble communicating with her now.
The overall shape of the Lookout was like a semi-circular spinning top. The top was flat, featuring a residential palace, a plaza, green trees, and fountains.
Surrounded by white clouds, purely in terms of style, it indeed had more class than Master Six Paths sitting withered in the Netherworld.
The thin air of the Lookout had absolutely no effect on Ino. She looked at Kami: "Where are the Dragon Balls? Can I use them now?"
Kami leaned on his wooden staff. Like many elderly people, he spoke slowly, weighing every word: "Although I am the creator of the Dragon Balls, I cannot control them directly. The seven Dragon Balls have long since scattered across the planet. It will take some time to gather them."
He observed Ino out of the corner of his eye. Seeing she had no intention of resting, he continued, "Although I don't know the exact location of the Dragon Balls, I do have some means of detection. Please follow me."
After walking for five minutes, Ino was dizzy from the messy layout of rooms in the Lookout. "Are we there yet?"
Kami was extremely calm. "The device is just below."
"Below?" Ino looked confused. "But didn't we just come up from the stairs over there?"
"Yes, but we can't get there without going this way. Don't worry, we'll be there soon."
The two entered through the main door, went to the side door, crossed a corridor, circled halfway down to the basement, then went all the way up again, took the spiral staircase from the second-floor side door, and then went down again...
On the other side, having received Kami's notification, his servant, the dark-skinned, turban-wearing Mr. Popo, took advantage of Kami stalling for time to start calling for backup!
Ino said she had no malicious intent, but what if? What if she had ambitions to rule the Earth? Appropriate precautions had to be taken.
Son Goku, who had won the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament, was the first to arrive at the Lookout on his Flying Nimbus. Following him were Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu, who were skilled in the Sky Dancing Technique. Yamcha and Krillin were too far away to make it in time immediately.
Son Goku, now 22 years old, had shed his boyish looks and appeared much more mature. "Mr. Popo, what happened? Is someone trying to steal the Dragon Balls?"
Mr. Popo looked like a servant, but he had actually been here long before the current Kami arrived. His lifespan was long, making him arguably the oldest living person on Earth. He felt Kami was making a mountain out of a molehill, but he didn't let his guard down; being cautious was never wrong. He began to explain to Son Goku the reason for summoning them to help.
Meanwhile, Ino was getting a bit annoyed. You're dragging me around in circles; are you giving me the Majin Buu treatment?
Her face turned gloomy. "Excuse me, are we there yet?"
"We're here, we're here."
Kami led her to the room where the Shenron model was kept.
It wasn't clear what kind of clay this thing was made of, but the craftsmanship was good, very lifelike. Placed inside a glass container, it was about the size of a dinner plate.
Ino was baffled. "What exactly did you intend to show me? This toy is the Dragon Ball?"
Kami shook his head. "No, actually, you don't understand the mystery of the Dragon Balls. Let me explain it to you from the beginning..."
Kami was a Namekian, and creating Dragon Balls was an ability of his race. Ino found this acceptable; it was just that "bloodline theory" stuff again. She was long used to it.
She felt she couldn't create Dragon Balls herself, but she could listen to the theoretical knowledge involved. Master Six Paths said Yin-Yang Release was the key to unlocking the mysteries of all things, and she agreed with that. Yin-Yang Release contained a very scientific methodology, and she had indeed entered the door in this field.
Humans can't lift a ten-thousand-jin weight themselves, but they can create tools to lift it.
The Dragon Balls were such a tool.
Ino listened very seriously, asking questions from time to time. Kami didn't hide anything in this regard. Theories, processes, results—rambling on and on, he forcibly stalled for another half an hour.
Outside the palace.
Krillin had also arrived.
Mr. Popo explained the situation to him in detail again.
The bald kid Krillin clenched his fists. "An alien is coming to seize the Dragon Balls?"
Mr. Popo quickly corrected the error in his words. "It's an alien deity who wants to use the Dragon Balls."
"Then this alien must be very ferocious, right?" Krillin asked nervously.
Popo wiped the sweat from his forehead. Kami had been called away by King Yama, and afterwards had been leading Ino around in circles; Popo hadn't seen the actual person either.
When Ino and Kami walked out of the palace, the Z Fighters looked at each other in dismay. That's it? A beautiful young girl? Where's the promised ferocious alien?
Krillin didn't believe it. He craned his neck and looked behind the two of them, seemingly thinking a evil monster would walk out from the shadows.
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